Overview & Reviews

One of America's most storied automotive brands, Dodge has been around since the early days of the auto industry. In the past couple of decades, it has revitalized itself to be a producer of aggressively styled and performance-oriented vehicles.

Two brothers, Horace and John Dodge, began the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle company in 1914, after having worked as manufacturers of bicycles and automotive parts. Their first vehicle was a touring car that proved a fast favorite with car buyers; it was soon joined by a roadster and a four-door sedan. By 1917, the company's model line had grown to include trucks. Dodge cars and trucks were used as staff vehicles and ambulances in World War I.

Dodge was briefly owned by a banking firm and subsequently sold by its new owner to the Chrysler Corporation in 1928. From there, the brand slowly evolved into the division responsible for trucks and performance-oriented cars. Post WWII, Dodge introduced vehicles like the military-inspired Power Wagon truck, Hemi-powered Coronet and the Royal Lancer; in addition, the manufacturer began offering dealer-installed air-conditioning.

Vehicles like the Dodge Dart and the Coronet kept the manufacturer in American driveways throughout the 1960s. That decade also saw the launch of one of Dodge's most iconic vehicles, the Charger. Dodge's muscle car was based on the Coronet platform, and featured a fastback roof line, hidden headlamps and a full-width taillamp panel. Best of all, the Charger could pack one heck of a wallop under the hood. A 318-cubic-inch V8 was standard, but buyers seeking maximum brawn could upgrade to a 426-cubic-inch, 425-hp Hemi V8. The company also introduced a Mustang-fighting pony car, called the Challenger, in 1970.

As with other American auto manufacturers, Dodge's fortunes started to slip in the '70s due to changing tastes and increased competition. The company was saved from extinction in the early '80s thanks to government loans and the sales success of its Omni and Aries economy cars (the former an attempted copy of the VW Rabbit). But 1984 was when Dodge made its mark in the history books with the introduction of the wildly popular Caravan. Ideal for families and able to seat up to seven, the space-efficient Caravan started a whole new vehicle segment -- the minivan.

The early '90s saw the company wow the public with the V10-powered Viper roadster and an all-new Ram pickup that set a new standard for big-rig-like styling. A few years later, Dodge came to be part of DaimlerChrysler, a result of the merger of the German company Daimler (owner of Mercedes-Benz) and Chrysler.

The merger never really worked, however, and Daimler sold Chrysler and Dodge to a private equity firm in 2007. Soon after, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy. The federal government intervened and eventually Dodge came under control of Fiat, a European automaker known for its small cars, an area where Dodge's entries had been roundly criticized for mediocre build quality and unrefined performance.

More recent years have seen Dodge concentrate on the more practical vehicles in its lineup, making notable improvements to the performance and overall quality of its midsize Avenger sedan and Journey SUV entries. Dodge also spun off its truck line, making it a separate Ram brand. But make no mistake; Dodge is still considered Chrysler's performance division thanks to cars like the Challenger and Charger. Time will tell how successful Dodge's latest makeover is.

User Reviews:

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  Nothing but problems since i bought it - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By ohiomommy82 - June 3 - 2:04 pm

  Well i just bought this car 2 months ago and its been to the mechanic 7 times, things Ive had fixed have been 3 motor mounts, Brakes master cylinder, Rotors, and pads, brakes completely went out on me while on the interstate , Idler pulley, belts were replaced, tire blew out on me, Struts need replaced and now Im starting to wonder about the tranny so not worth it.

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  In the Shop - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Cris - June 2 - 9:51 pm

  Bought in 2008 and it was in the shop three times in the first 6 weeks from a problem created by the dealer - failed to re-install the headliner correctly. Within 1 year, air conditioner failed due to a broken fan - that one took three tripe to two different dealer to fix. Now back in the shop at 27K miles with another fan failure. Also the passenger side window does not work and the transmission makes a horrid noise when it down shifts. Looks great, gas mileage is incredible (as high as 33 MPG on the highway), but can not rely on it. Dealer service departments in the area are fairly incompetent which does not help.

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  Been a very good car - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By Barry - May 31 - 8:32 pm

  My wife bought the car with about 60,000 miles on it about 6 years ago. Now has 144,000 and going strong. The only things I can fault manufacture quality to, are a bad oil pressure sensor and a tensioner pulley. Other than that it has been very reliable.

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  2001 Dodge Intrepid- SE 2.7 Engine - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Shawna - May 28 - 10:57 am

  This vehicle has been the most reliable car Ive had. My car is a garage baby at work and home. I purchased this car at 82,000. It now has 152,000. I have people coming up to me often wanting me to notify them if I decided to sell my car. So far, Ive had front alignment work, (2) wheel bearings, intake manifold and the serpentine belt replaced. I just got that all done this year. I get regular oil changes every 3000 miles and a tune-up every year. The only other complaint is that I have an oil leak but I do keep a close eye to make sure there is enough oil. I had a Saturn that died at 148,000 miles before I got this vehicle which was crap. I think my next car will definitely be a Dodge.

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  A trooper! - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By Maria - May 27 - 12:46 pm

  In my opinion the 1996 Neon is a hands-down winner. After knowing people who had this car and loved it, experiencing the great driving myself, and finding a great deal, I decided to go for it and have not been disappointed. The car definitely has some minor flaws, including crappy paint jobs, but the truth is Ive never had to get my car serviced at a mechanic...ever. The things that require service are always minor, and are simple to fix. This car makes several 500+ mile trips per year and I have never been stranded or needed roadside assistance. I had a back-up light problem early on that I thought would be an expensive fix. Turned out it just needed a switch. Thats been my biggest issue.

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  Transmission - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Takasia - May 16 - 5:13 pm

  I have had the shutter since i purchase it. it jerks somtime while driving & i have taken it to dealer several times & they always say cant find anything.It also slows when air is turned on. One day i got into car to leave & was unable to move gear out of park, call dealer & was told right off bat that it was the belt inside gear shift. was told by tow truck driver that it is happening to all the Chrysler & dodge vehicles & they have been towing a lot with that same problem. A lot of people have told me chargers are not a good car & after 50000 miles transmission have to be replaced. Will never buy another chrysler or dodge vehicle.

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  happy with purchase - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By hector - May 14 - 8:19 pm

  satisfied with purchase.3and a half year and is working fine.at 24,300 miles change tires and magically tire noise is no longer,change tail lights 1st year(warranty)and drivers front shock absorber(my pocket)this month.runs well albeit slow in acceleration.my 94 tempo has equal acceleration with the 2.3 engine

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  Over 3yrs still runs great - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Guy - May 13 - 2:11 pm

  My parents gave me 2007 Dodge Caliber SXT 2.0 for graduation, it was bought used with 21,000 miles currently it has 68,000. Not sure what all the reliability complains are, keep serviced properly and it will last, simple as that, I change the oil every 3,500 miles synthetic only, just because I heard it is better then conventional specially on CVTs. The CVT did take quite a bit to get used to, but now driving conventional automatic cars just feels wrong. Last week I replaced the standard stereo with a more modern Pioneer with bluetooth, iPod Integration, and USB imputs. I love the styling, looks rather small from the outside, great surprize when you do get in, Im 511 240lbs.

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  Good Vehicle for the Price - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Jeepman1976 - May 9 - 4:00 pm

  I recently purchased a 2008 Dodge Caliber to help me with my new career. I went from working for a Dodge dealer to an outside salesman with a differant company. I bought the car because I new the data about the vehicle and so far am very impressed with it. I put about 3,000 miles a month on and have averaged between 29 to 34 mpg. I have owned Jeeps for most of my life but with this new job I needed fuel milage and the Caliber did not sit low to the ground like a car which was really appealing to me.

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  best first car i could have hoped for - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By mpickett - May 9 - 1:10 am

  i bought my neon used from the original owner. ive had it for about 7 months now. this is also my first car that i bought myself. after spending two months looking for the right car, one that was cheap and good quality, i found that i made a great dicision. the guy i bought the car from took great care of it and so it still looks fantastic, and runs very well too. i like only having to spend 25 dollars for a gas fill up too. and the sound system is terrific with sub woofers and an amp in the trunk. plus, it attracts a lot of peoples attention with the spoiler and ground effects. overall, i think i made a great choice with a car that im sure will last me a very long time.